Quorum sets standard
Sep 15 2010 by Andrew Hebden, The Journal
THE decision of Balfour Beattie to locate its new national base in the North East is a timely boost to business confidence in the region.
The number of jobs involved may be relatively small at initially around 200, some of which will be taken by people already within the business moving from elsewhere in the country.
But as well as the capacity for more good-quality jobs to follow, the move sends a really positive signal about the region’s attractiveness as a major centre for blue-chip companies such as Balfour Beattie.
The company has been clear about what enticed it into the region with a skilled and adaptable workforce on the doorstep, ready and able to fill the new positions.
Quorum will no doubt have also been viewed as a good-value location, albeit the rent achieved by the developers was apparently a record high for the UK’s largest speculative office development. This fact in itself is perhaps a positive sign that confidence is beginning to return to the commercial property market.
Even so, the region should not be shy about advertising itself as a good-value place to do business.
Competition to attract inward investment is going to be especially keen in the coming months and years and, with the regional development agency playing a diminished role, developers are going to have to take the initiative in making their schemes as attractive as possible.
Quorum is a pretty good role model in this regard, as its record in attracting the likes of EDF Energy, Santander, the AA and Tesco Bank testifies. The park’s backers have truly put their money where their mouth is, investing in exceptionally high-quality offices and supplementing these with a whole range of extra facilities such as a sports club and good public transport.
What has been created is not just a business park, but a living, breathing – and growing – community. It’s not hard to see why so many blue-chip businesses find it a pretty compelling combination – and that can only be good news for the North East.
:: Andrew Hebden - The Voice of nebusiness: andrew.hebden@ncjmedia.co.uk
